How is your Christmas shopping going? Is everyone on your list easy to buy for? Do you have that one person on your list that just stumps you? There have been times I have just walked a store... just hoping that something will jump out and say, "I'm what you're looking for!"
There have been some years where I have found the best gift in the oddest place! The little trinkets at the checkout have brought the biggest smiles, or an item on the table at the back made their Christmas!
I'm talking about the kind of thing that if you had not been persistent to the end with open eyes... you might have just missed it completely. Ever been there?
I kind of experienced this today in my prayer time with the Lord.
Every year, and yes, I mean EVERY YEAR (since 1999); I read the One Year Bible. Today's New Testament portion came from the book of Revelation. The first year I read my One Year Bible I didn't miss a day. I was so proud to say I read the entire Bible in one year!
In the years since... I miss a day here and there - every now and then. Unfortunately, Revelation gets more neglect than the others for several reasons. It's harder to understand and I'm reading it at one of the busiest seasons of the year.
This morning I got up early and made coffee, put some laundry on, responded to a few emails, checked Facebook briefly, and then finally opened my Bible. As I was reading in Revelation, I was doing my best to keep up with the descriptions of the "living creatures" surrounding the throne when I read the following verse...
Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
"Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."
Just for a little context, this was said by the 24 elders dressed in white. They said this as they laid their crowns before the throne in worship of the Almighty, Holy God.
The thing that struck me this morning was "And by Your will they existed."
So often I bring my laundry list of requests before the Lord. I question the Lord about all the things that are happening to me and around me. And yet, my very existence is in the hands of a very worthy & holy God. So often I come to the Lord in a haphazard manner as if I have some sort of position or right to know the "whys" of my life. When in reality, I should be bowing before Him, bringing Him my everything... saying only, "Thank you, and yes will I serve, honor, and obey You."
Why should I say this?
Because my very existence, every breath that I take is by His will and His design!
This is an AMAZING gift - found at the back of the Bible. In my busyness, I could have even missed it all together. And yet... it was screaming at me, "This is what you want today!"
Therefore, my next thought was, "What am I going to do with this gift?" This gift of His will - for me to exist... how will I use it? Will I use it for good or for evil?
Today, before opening my mouth, I'm going to remember that my very existence is by His will and not my own and do all that I can to lay crowns (and not junk) before His throne!
(And one more thing.... there are some amazing treasures from the back of the Bible... Jude, Revelation, Obadiah, Malachi - don't miss these this year!)
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